some replacement heifers

[iowahawkeyes]

Here are our replacements for next year. I think there are 13. Sires include Grand Slam, Kilo, Mac (by Starbuck Tank), Taz, and Bold Statement.

from left to right Grand Slam, Mac, Kilo, Grand Slam

left to right #237Bold Statement, #367 Grand Slam, Red - Mac

GRand Slam out of a Totally Tuned/Platinum cow. She has speckles on all four legs

Grand Slam out of a red cow

 

[KNERSIE]

very good looking group.

are you going to dehorn the two with horns?

 

[mnmtranching]

Gonna make some good stock cows. Got a bull for them yet?

 

[Chris H]

I hope this doesn't offend, but are those Grand Slam calves a bit too light in color? The #657 calf especially looks light colored.
Does he carry the diluter gene?

Other than that, it looks like a nice set of replacements.

 

[iowahawkeyes]

Thanks for the comments.
Yes we will dehorn, I suppose after harvest is done.
I'm not sure what hubby is planning for breeding. Our Mac bull does an outstanding job and is heifer safe so that might be the ticket on most of them. We have another black AI bull we raised that works great on heifer too.
I don't know if GS has the diluter gene. I'm not real familiar with it. Someone can enlighten me I'm sure.

 

[Mr. Greenjeans]

Nice girls -- 237 and 367 caught my eye.

 

[TB-Herefords]

Looks like a really good string of replacements. The diluter gene just dilutes the color of the offspring; not all just some. It like EPD's a certain percentage will pick up the gene and other wont. Maybe someone else can explain better.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

The diluter/non diluter gene is just another gene like horns. Mostly found in Simmental bloodlines, I believe. The "diluter" gene is dominant on Black factored cattle. Red cattle can be dark blood red or real light red - and either/or might be carrying 1 or 2 diluter genes. You can't tell on the reds, but blacks will ALWAYS be diluted - maybe as light as a silver or as dark as chocolate.

 

[Chris H]

Yes, what Jeanne said is true.

I looked up Grand Slams pedigree and see he has Titan on top and bottom, and fairly close. Reading these boards I've found Titan is a bit suspect regarding his pedigree, and some Hereford breeders stay away from that bloodline.

In a commercial setting, a uniformly colored group of feeder calves generally bring more than a comparable group that have a rainbow of colors. A homozygous black bull will color them all black, unless the diluter gene pops up.

Still, nice set of heifers, and those Grand Slam heifers should make some nice brood cows.

 

[iowahawkeyes]

We raise club calves and herefords. We don't have that many extras that go to the salebarn to feed out but this year we had probably 15 blacks and baldies and 1 herf sell in the barn. They sold very well b/c people know they are good cattle.
In the club calf game, off colored cattle are getting to be more popular all the time.

 

[ArrowHBrand]

Where in Iowa are you located? I'm in NW Iowa. Nice looking group of ladies. It's nice to hear that show judges are starting to look past color when deciding classes. The last show we went to the judge was even docking calves for being too big for their age and/or frame. About time that happens! Bigger isn't always better when the calf is burnt out and ulcered when they are 2.